Dr. Paul Planet of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Jeffrey Shaman of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, and Museum Curator Rob DeSalle discuss what they have learned so far from an active research project where visitors to the Museum donated their microbes to science.

The Patricia Emerald is among the world’s most magnificent uncut emeralds. “Only a small number of large emeralds have been saved, and we are indeed lucky to have one of the fabulous few,” says George Harlow, curator in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.